Aeroplane



C. A'. LIND. AERORLANE; APPLICATION FILED AUGJG 191a.

Patented May 20, 1919.

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FIGLJ E. 1

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' H ATTORNEY C. A. LIND.

AERO PLANEF APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16. I918.

Patented May 20, 1919.

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AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED Aueae, @131 1,304,187. Patented May 20,1919

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lbh/ENTOR I I fiY Afi w Hus ORNEY C. A. LIND.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION men AUGJG. 1918 1,304,187. Patented May 20, 1919 5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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C. A. LIND. AEROPLANE. APPHCATIO'N FILED AUGIG, 191K Patented May 20,1919

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FIGURE. I I0 FIG-URL I! 2% I I"): 1/ I rhs TT NEY UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES A. LIND, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNQR OF ONE-FOURTH T0 CHARLES B. LEW'I'ON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

AEROPLANE.

I '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLnsA. LIND, a

citizen of the United'States, and resident of San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara particularly to a direct lifting and stabilizing device for the same. a

One object of my invention is to provide a means wherebyan aeroplane may beraised in a substantially vertical direction d1rectlyv from the ground, thereby obviating the necessity of providing a runway for the same. Another object of my inventlon is to provide a means of the character indicatedthat may also be adapted for use as a stabilizing device or to assist in the forward movement of the air craft.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, combination and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, and finally pointed out in the claims;

In the drawings I Figure 1 is a perspective view of one propeller.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of a propeller in position mits case and provided with a shutter.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an aerothe arrangement of the several units and operating mechanism as applied to the aeroplane shown in Fig. 5. i

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of an aeroplane of large size for carrying freight and passengers and equipped with my invention.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatical plan view of the arrangement of the several units and Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d May 20, 1919 Application iiled August 16, 1918. Serial no. 250,131.

operating mechanism as applied to the aeroplane shown 1n Fig. 7.

Fig. I 9 is a diagrannnatical illustration showing method of of my device.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operating the shutter method of operating the shutter when the. device 1s used both for forward drivingand as a stabilizer. 1 Flg. 11 1s a perspective v1ew of a prov peller casing with the shutter'attache'd and equipped with air diffusion vanes.

' Similar characters of reference. indicatesimilar parts throughout theseveral views; -Referr1ng now more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the fuselage'of an aeroplane provided with gliding planes 26 and the usual propeller 1. and having recesses 2 formed in its opposite sides. In each recess 2 1s positioned a propellercasu' g 3, the same being secured rigidly in positionv and provided with air exhaust perforations 4; In casing 3 is mounted a rotating shaft 5 which in turn carries propeller blades 6 and is operated by any suitable "driving power as a motor 7 in casing 8. Any desired number of propeller blades 6 may be used, each blade being positioned longitudinally of the shaft and preferably curving in the direction of rotation of said shaft, and the shaft itself preferably rotating in'a plane parallel with the axis of the fuselage of the air craft, or the gliding plane thereof. Blades 6 are also oblong in shape and of suitable length for the object in view.

Motor 7 is driven by dynamo 9 through the medium of wires 10 and 12 in which is operatively connected a controlling switch 11 and such other devices as may be necessary. In Figs. 3 and l the propellers are arranged in pairs on each side of the aeroplane and a third pair positioned transversely of the plane and forward of the gliding planes as at 13. In operation when switch 11 is closed the various propellers are rotated at high speed in the direction indicated by the arrows, the reactionof the air against their under surfaces forcing the whole machine to rise in a substantially vertical direction. This action will be facilitated by the propellers because their constant rotation at high speed will tend to remove the air from the top of the machine and force it under the same, thereby rarefying the airabove the machine and compressing it below. While in the air the usual driving propeller 1 may be stopped and the propellers embodying my invention put into motion and the air craft caused to soar or hover at will.

The casing 3 may be provided with a shutter 14 pivoted thereon as at 15, in Fig. 11, and fitted with a shifting mechanism as rod 16 and lever 17, so that the said shutter may be, withdrawn into an inoperative position as shown in solid lines in Figs. 2-9 and 11 or thrown forward to further inclose propeller blades 6 as indicated by the arrow 18. The lever 17 by which rod 16 is operated is preferably located in the fuselage of the aeroplane at a point adjacent controlling switch 11 as indicated in a formal manner in Fig. 8. Casing 3 may also be provided with diflusion vanes 19 so that when a blade 6 enters casing 3 a definite path of travel will be provided for a portion of the air contained therein, thesame being directed outwardly to the exhaust perforations 4 thereby preventing the formation of pockets in the said casing 3. The lower half of casing 3 is extended downwardly so that diffusion vanes 19 may be inserted therein Without interfering with the rotation of blades 6, as shown in Fig. 2.

When in the position 13 in Figs. 3 and i the blades 6 may also be used to assist in driving the air craft forward after the same has been raised a suflicient distance to secure a clearpath of travel by constructing the casing 3 as slfown in the diagram in Fig. 10. That is, with but a quarter-section of its end closed so that the rod 16 and lever 17 may be used to throw the shutter let into the position 19 so that the device may be used as a direct lift or stabilizing device or to throw the shutter 14 into the position 20 so that the device may be used to assist in driving the machine forward. It is obvious of course that the shutter may be easily nection with Figs. 3 and 1 except that transverse propellers 22 are operated upon a separate electrical circuit indicated by wires 12 and controlled by a switch 12 so that they may be operated entirely independently of the-side propellers.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a contemplated application of my invention showing how they may be used when applied to large air ships for passenger, mail or freight service.

In this embodiment 25 indicates the body of the machine provided with gliding planes 26 and pilots house 27. Three pairs of pro- 'pellers are here shown on each side of the unit 33 by wires 10 and 12 provided with switch 11. The shutters of all of the pairs on one side may be operated by a lever 17 and rod 16 operating shaft 34 to which each shutter is connected'by' a rod as indicated at 35, the mechanism for the four groups of shutters being designated by similar nu-' merals followed by an appropriate letter. I

It is understood of course, that the propeller blades may be made in any suitable form, assembled in any suitable combinations and operated in any suitable manner in connection with any desired accessories and .in conjunction with the various operating mechanisms of the air-craft, as with the ordinary propeller and with the various types of gliding planes. Also speed regulating devices may be inserted in the power transmitting lines as at 12 in Fig 4. The forms and applications of the invention herein shown and described are for the purpose of illustration only and therefore are not to be understood to in any way limit the scope of my invention which is intended to include all that may be included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In anaeroplane, a propeller comprising a shaft operatively mounted on the body thereof substantially parallel with the gliding plane thereof, a plurality of oblong blades projecting outwardly from the perimeter of said shaft and operating means for said shaft, and a casing having perforated endsinclosing a portion of said propeller.

2. In an aeroplane, a propeller comprising a shaft operatively mounted on the body thereof substantially parallel with the gliding plane thereof, a plurality of oblong blades projecting outwardly from the perimeter of said shaft and operating means for said shaft, and a casing having air diffusion vanes positioned therein inclosing a portion of said propeller.

3. In an aeroplane, a propeller comprising a shaft operatively mounted on the body thereof substantially parallel with the gliding plane thereof, a plurality of oblong blades projecting outwardly from the perimeter of said shaft and operating means for said shaft, and a casing having air diffusion vanes starting from its lower edge substantially midway of its length and terminating at the rear of each end inclosing a portion of said propeller.

4. In an aeroplane, a propeller comprising a shaft operatively mounted on the body thereof substantially parallel With the gliding plane thereof, a plurality of oblong blades projecting outwardly from the perimeter of said shaft and operating means for said shaft, and a casing havin perforated ends andprovided with air di usion vanes inclosing a portion of said propeller.

5. In an aeroplane, a propeller c0mprising a shaft operatively mounted on the body thereof substantially parallel with the gliding plane thereof, a plurality of'oblong blades projecting outwardlyfrom the perimeter of said shaft and operating means for saidvshaft, and a casing having perforated ends and having air diII'usion vanes starting .from its lower edge substantially midway of its length and terminating at the rear of CHARLES A. LIND, 

